Discover Picturesque Japan Island Beaches

As the great Lenny Kravitz sings, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

Summer is still here, and if you haven’t frolicked in white sands and cool waters yet, there’s still time to pack up and head to one of Japan’s lesser-known but stunning island beaches. If you think the country is all high-rises and towering skyscrapers, its beautiful beaches will prove you wrong.

Kumejima Island Beach, Okinawa

Kumejima Island is part of the Shoto island group in Okinawa. To reach it, you travel about 90 kilometers west of the city. Tourists flock to the island for the famous Hatenoma, a white sand bar that spans around seven kilometers. It can only be accessed on a tour, and you aren’t allowed to go to the sandbar on your own, which can make the trip more fun because you get to mingle with other tourists.

Minna Beach, Minna-jima

Japan’s island beaches are also home to some of the world’s clearest waters. At Minna Beach, you get a perfect view of what lies beneath the turquoise sea even from a boat. If you’re up for something thrilling, you can ride a jet ski. Minna-jima is a crescent-shaped island just 15 minutes from Okinawa’s Toguchi Port, and it’s a great beach to discover because of its very small population. Local beachgoers, scuba divers, and snorkelers visit often, but you’ll still enjoy the place because it isn’t crowded. Underwater visibility and accessibility are the top two reasons people go to Minna Beach.

Kabira Bay, Ishigaki Island

If you’re on the hunt for truly picturesque island beaches, highly industrialized Japan won’t disappoint. See the featured image above. Kabira Bay will surprise you. Ishigaki is the biggest island in the Yaeyama Islands and boasts a number of coral and sandy beaches. It’s perfect for sunbathing and swimming while you take photos of the stunning views, and Yonehara, Sukuji, and Sunset are the best parts of the island to follow Sheryl Crow when she sings “I’m gonna soak up the sun.”

But if you really want to reward your eyes with a feast of gorgeous landscapes, take the glass-bottom boat tour of Kabira Bay. The tour runs 30 minutes and costs $9. From the boat, you get a close-up view of the underwater ecosystem, the white sand of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, and the emerald green water.

Japan is undeniably gifted with must-visit island beaches. You may also add Nishihama Beach, Aharen Beach, and Nishibama Beach to your itinerary.